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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

The parc national de la Jacques-Cartier in Spring (2)

Fishing in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Spring in Québec.
Fishing in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Spring in Québec.

A fisherman sits quietly in the river of the Jacques-Cartier national park  casting his line, while his companion watches from the shore. Here, everyone has as much space as they want to enjoy their hobby.

Some photographers use Photoshop’s “dehaze” function to keep the background sharp to infinity. I prefer to retain the natural feel of the scene. The violet-blue landscape visible at the top of the shot helps to capture the distance.

Forest in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Spring in Québec 2024.
Forest in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Spring in Québec 2024.

People prepare for their outing in the huge ancestral canoe known as a rabaska. In the foreground, but no longer visible in the photo, was originally a group of vacationers launching an inflatable raft. But all these people were distracting from the main subject. Tight framing eliminated this obstacle.

Nature in the Jacques-Cartier National Park in Québec.
Nature in the Jacques-Cartier National Park in Québec.

I use the frame-within-a-frame technique to present the multicolored reflections of the river in the photo above. There’s blue, orange and green, outlined by two vertical trunks on either side of the photo and an oblique branch at the top.

I use the same technique in the shot below, but in a less obvious way, as the frame in the foreground remains blurred. Attention is immediately drawn to the canoeists who are just finishing their trip and getting ready to dock.

Canoeing on the Jacques-Cartier river in Québec 2024
Canoeing on the Jacques-Cartier river in Québec 2024

Click on the link for more photos of the province of Quebec on my blog.

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Photos of Quebec

The Grand défi Pierre Lavoie 2024

The Grand défi Pierre Lavoie returns every year to raise funds for the Fondation du Grand défi Pierre Lavoie, which supports many causes including research into orphan diseases.

Police blocking the traffic in Sillery before the arrival of the GDPL cyclists.
Police blocking the traffic in Sillery before the arrival of the GDPL cyclists.

Cyclists pay to take part in the challenge, and the public can also make a monetary contribution to support the riders. Participants benefit from fully protected circuits where car traffic would normally cause problems. Above, police officers prohibit access to cars as cyclists arrive on Avenue des Gouverneurs in Sillery, Quebec.

Cyclists arriving in Sillery at the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie 2024.
Cyclists arriving in Sillery at the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie 2024.
Grand défi Pierre Lavoie (GDPL) 2024 cyclists on avenue des Gouverneurs in Quebec City.
Grand défi Pierre Lavoie (GDPL) 2024 cyclists on avenue des Gouverneurs in Quebec City.
The Grand défi Pierre Lavoie 2024 cyclists in the Sillery sector in Quebec City.
The Grand défi Pierre Lavoie 2024 cyclists in the Sillery sector in Quebec City.

Cyclists take it in turns to cover a series of circuits totalling 1,000 kilometers in the Quebec City region over three days. Depending on the route chosen, the difference in altitude ranges from 199 metres to almost 900 metres.

Each route starts and finishes on the Université Laval grounds in Quebec City.

The first stage of the GDPL 2024 took place on June 14. It was only a 21-kilometre warm-up circuit, and I photographed the participants as they completed their journey and headed for their base camp at Université Laval. There are just 979 kilometers to go between now and the afternoon of June 16… 

Group of cyclists in the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie (GDPL) 2024 in action at Québec.
Group of cyclists in the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie (GDPL) 2024 in action at Québec.
GDPL 2024 cyclists wearing the Montreal Canadians hockey club jersey.
GDPL 2024 cyclists wearing the Montreal Canadians hockey club jersey.

Photos were taken with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens.

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Spring on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Spring in Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier.

Spring in the Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier in Québec.
Spring in the Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier in Québec.

Normally, a 3:2 or 4:3 ratio is used to display in vertical mode. But the 16:9 aspect ratio of the photo above shows both the reverberations in the water and a significant portion of the landscape. So, whatever the conventions and what makes purists happy, we use what does justice to our first impression.

What caught my eye in this scene? The very wide range of green tones, the alternation of light and shade in the landscape and the reflections, the roundness of the deciduous trees and the tips of the conifers, the atmosphere of the place and, last but not least, the human presence. All this can be seen in a fraction of a second, and the shot is taken before the canoe enters the shaded area on the left.

Historic lodge in Spring in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Québec.
Historic lodge in Spring in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Québec.

The photo above shows a historic chalet in Jacques-Cartier National Park in Spring. It’s no longer available for rent, but it’s a great asset for photography enthusiasts. At this location, paddleboarding is safe thanks to a very weak current.

Tourist attraction in the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier in Québec.
Tourist attraction in the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier in Québec.

On the same day and on the same river, but a few kilometers upstream, a group of people attempt their first descent in an inflatable boat on a rougher stretch of water.

The first group takes the plunge, while the second watches, waiting its turn and trying to learn from the others’ mistakes. Occasionally, paddlers get stuck on top of a flat rock flush with the water, and have to use their initiative to free themselves and continue their journey. Sometimes canoeists find themselves in the water, and Sépaq staff  have to help them out.

Click on the links for more photos and other articles about the province of Quebec.